


Roommates (Peter/John)

by ReginaNocis



Series: Obscure Love [14]
Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-24 00:50:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10730766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReginaNocis/pseuds/ReginaNocis
Summary: Peter is excited to finally move into his new dorm and start his college experience, but his roommate is kind of a jerk.





	Roommates (Peter/John)

"Call me if you need anything at all. I'll drive the two hours in a heartbeat, you know that," Aunt May said with a final smile, pulling Peter into a tight hug and then driving away. She'd offered to stay and help him unpack, but he'd waved her away because he knew she had to work that night. There was no reason for her to overwork herself when Peter could unpack within an hour by himself. He hadn't brought much, knowing he'd probably just buy what he needed as it came up.

His roommate hadn't showed up yet, so he chose his side on his own and started setting up. The name he'd been given was John Allerdyce, which he was _sure_ he'd heard somewhere before. He finished completely and had his laptop out, watching Netflix, when John finally arrived. He took one glance at Peter's side of the room and rolled his eyes, dropping a duffle bag on his bed.

"Great. So I'm rooming with a dork," he snapped, glaring at Peter. "Let's get one thing straight right now: I don't want anything to do with you. I shouldn't even be here, but my former mentor thought it would be good for me. The idiot he sent with me managed to get into a better room, so I'm stuck with you. Get in my way, and I can't promise you'll survive the year."

Peter definitely recognized him. He'd been on the news enough that his face was easily recognizable as one of the former X-Men, but Peter was certain he'd turned evil for a while there. It was just his luck that his year would be ruined by some idiot who thought he was better than everyone else just because he had powers. What did they call themselves? Mutants. Peter had nothing against mutants, of course, but he had something against bigots who used their strengths for evil or personal gain. Both of which he knew John "Pyro" Allerdyce had done.

"Then you should know something, too: I'm not going to sit by and let you get away with the same stuff you did when you left your former team. I _will_ stop you. You don't scare me," Peter replied calmly. John just smirked at him and snapped his fingers, showing off the small flame the ignited at the gesture. "That's meaningless when you get to hang around Johnny Storm on a weekly basis. He and I are old friends, and I learned how to dodge flames from him. I also got some great extinguishing tips from Sue. So you can try to be all intimidating if you want, but it won't work on me."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and Peter got up to let whoever it was in. The guy standing on the other side gave him a strained smile before looking over his shoulder and grimacing at John.

"I'm sorry in advance for him. He's not good with... people. I'm Bobby," the guy said, offering his hand. Peter heard John snort before he was shoved out of the way and they were watching his back as he stomped down the hall to get away from them both.

"You're the one who was sent to keep an eye on him?" Peter asked. Bobby gave him an alarmed look but nodded. "He told me. He was trying to be intimidating, but I've seen so much scarier. I'm Peter Parker," he said, shaking Bobby's hand. "I have a feeling we'll probably see a lot of each other.

"Can't be a bad thing. You don't seem like a bad guy," Bobby said with a smile. Peter recognized him, too, of course. He was also from the X-Men, but he for sure didn't leave the team to turn evil. As far as Peter had known, he was still on the team with his girlfriend and friends.

"I try very hard not to be. Don't take this the wrong way, but how did you get stuck with babysitter duty? I figured your team would need you," Peter asked curiously. Bobby eyed him with new interest.

"John used to be my best friend. Out of everyone on the team, I know him best, and sometimes he still listens to me. I think he respects me, at least. We're polar opposites, but when we've fought in the past, he's never been very aggressive. I don't think he wants to hurt me, you know?" Bobby replied casually.

"I had a friend who went crazy when his father died. He blamed me, and he kept trying to come after me, but when we fought... he never put very much effort into it. He actually died saving my life, in the end," Peter shared, looking down. "So I guess we've kind of got that in common. I get how hard it is to watch your best friend go down a path that you wish he wouldn't. The only thing you can do is try to be there for him and push him in the right direction."

"How did you know about my team?" Bobby asked, unable to contain the question anymore. Peter cracked a smile, looking back up at him.

"I've got the clearance for it. Plus, anyone who watches the news would probably recognize the two of you. You don't exactly hide your faces when you fight, even if yours is generally made of ice and his is fire. The features are still recognizable," he answered, making Bobby grin.

"What do you mean, the clearance?" Bobby wondered out loud. He hadn't meant to ask, and he knew by one look at Peter's face that he wasn't getting an answer.

"Sorry. I can't tell you that," he said quietly, looking away. "Look, it's getting kind of late and we've got our first classes in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, yeah of course. Here, call me if John gets to be too much," Bobby nodded, writing his number down on a scrap of paper and handing it to Peter before he walked away. Peter looked down at it for a long time before he closed the door and went back to his laptop. This would definitely be an interesting year.

~~

John was not an easy person to live with. He was loud when Peter wanted to sleep or study, he often came home drunk or with someone else, and he was beyond rude. He didn't acknowledge Peter's existence unless it directly interfered with his own living. He also ignored Bobby, even though he stopped by almost every night to check on them both and talk with Peter. He tried to include John, of course, but John seemed to want nothing to do with either of them. The last straw for Peter came the night before his first midterm.

Bobby was helping him study, like usual. Peter was pretty sure he spent more time in their room than his own, but that was okay. He was one of the only friends Peter had been able to make in his first semester, because his course work kept him on his toes. He and Bobby were taking the same classes, so they were studying together more often than not. John really seemed to not like that, if his insanely loud music was anything to go by. It had driven Bobby away nearly an hour earlier, and Peter had had enough.

He crossed the room and yanked the plug to his stereo out of the wall, glaring at him the entire time. He ignored John's noise of protest and held up a hand to stop him from saying anything out loud.

"I can put up with a lot of shit, Allerdyce. I have been, without saying a thing. But I have midterms tomorrow that will affect the rest of my time here, and I'm not going to let you destroy my chances of a good grade just because of some petty grudge you've got against being here yourself. As far as I can tell, your problem isn't actually with me. Ruining my grades isn't going to get you out of here, and I have a feeling you're not flunking out yourself, so give it up. You can hate me all you want, but do it _silently,"_ he snapped, trying to keep his voice at a normal volume. John stared at him in surprise, not saying anything, which Peter took to mean he'd be quiet at least for that night. He went back to his own bed to study again. It took John ten whole minutes to put together what he wanted to say.

"I don't hate you, Parker. I don't know that I like you, but you've given me no reason to hate you. I hate being here, because it feels like a punishment, like exile. And Bobby just thinks everything can go back to the way it was, but I'm not the same person he was friends with. A lot has changed in not very much time, and he's not changing with me. I don't expect him to share my views, I just wish he'd try to understand. I don't hate him either, really. I don't think I could. But this place, this is something I can hate. I actually wasn't trying to sabotage you tonight, the music just helps me block out the bad thoughts and memories," John admitted, quietly enough that Peter almost didn't hear him.

"There are these things called headphones," he joked, smiling to show that he was only teasing. John gave him a hesitant smile back.

"Yeah. I tend to burn them out when I get too emotional, though. They don't make fireproof headphones," he shot back. That got Peter thinking, and he spent the rest of his night on formulas that had nothing to do with his midterms.

He passed the midterms with flying colors, and spent his week long break in the science lab for students. At the very end, he went back to the dorm to find John and present him with the very first pair of fireproof headphones in existence, guaranteed to work no matter how hot he got.

~~

Bobby caught up to him right before he left for the first summer and pulled him aside to talk. "Look, I'm not supposed to be telling you any of this, but I thought it couldn't hurt for you to know. John finally started opening up to me again after you guys worked out your differences. I'm taking him back to Xavier's to finish his schooling, and we won't be coming back next semester. I wanted to give you the address and an open invitation to visit. John won't say it himself, but I know he's going to miss you. He actually likes you, shockingly enough."

"You're not coming back?" Peter asked, eyes wide. "But... I was just getting used to John, and you're the only friend I've got here!"

"I know, I'm sorry. The Professor wants us back before John converts again. Being around normal people has been good for him, but he needs to get back to his old life before he forgets how good it was," Bobby answered sadly. "I'd come back if I could, but he needs me."

"What if I told you I'm not as normal as I seem?" Peter asked, thinking quickly. "Remember how I said I had the right clearance to know about you guys? I wasn't kidding. I've been involved with SHIELD and the Avengers for a while, and I've got my own pretty awesome abilities. Heard of Spiderman?"

"You're Spiderman?" Bobby asked in disbelief. Peter nodded. "But you're not a mutant, right?"

"It's complicated. I wasn't born with the mutated genes, no. When the radioactive spider bit me, it changed my DNA just enough to make me similar to a mutant. I don't really know what I'd be classified as," he admitted. "It's something I've wondered about before."

"Come with us. At least for a week or two. Let the Professor meet you and decide. His word is basically mutant law anyways. If he decides you're a mutant, you could stay at the school and finish out there! The credits will transfer to any college and you could still graduate from here without attending another class on campus. You don't have to lose me _or_ John," Bobby offered, looking hopeful.

Peter could see Aunt May waiting for him in the crowd, and paused to think. He could leave with Bobby and John and get to be happy with them, maybe find something new out about himself. Or he could go with Aunt May and live the future that was basically planned for him. It wasn't an easy choice. Thinking back over the last year, Peter smiled to himself. He knew what the right thing to do was, and he knew what he was going to do.

"Don't leave without me. I just have to talk to my aunt," he said quietly, then pushed through the crowd to have a conversation he only hoped would end well.

"Do you love him?" she asked him after he had explained. He paled, staring at her without speaking. "The only reason you would ever consider changing your life so drastically is for love, Peter. So I'll ask again, do you love him?"

"I... yeah, I guess I do, Aunt May," he admitted. She smiled.

"And following him to this school will make you happy?" she asked, clearly already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, yes. I think it really will," he nodded, smiling back.

"Then go. Just don't forget to call me and visit every once in a while. I love you, Peter," she told him, hugging him tightly. He hoped it wouldn't be the last time he ever saw her, but with his luck... there was no way he could accurately predict his future. He might be running back to her within a week, depending on what the Professor (and John) had to say.

~~

It was decided fairly quickly that Peter could pass for a mutant, and he was welcomed into the school with open arms. He was rooming with John again, surprisingly, with Bobby right next door. He had his own room here, which Peter was jealous of. Peter quickly made friends with the others his age, warming up to Kitty almost immediately. He caught John glaring at the two of them together, which both confused him and made him hopeful.

"What's your problem with Kitty?" he asked during his third week there. John frowned and refused to meet his eyes, making Peter's heart flutter. He knew that look; it was the look he himself used whenever anybody used to ask why he avoided MJ.

"I don't have a problem with her. She's just... clingy. It bothers me," he snapped. Peter could have dropped it right then, but he didn't.

"I don't think she's clingy. She's just having fun, making a new friend. She's got quite a lot to say for someone who seems so quiet at first glance," he pushed, watching John's reaction.

"She tries too hard. She's been flirting with you this whole time. I haven't _seen_ you flirt back, but that doesn't mean much. She could have anyone she wants," John said, glaring at the floor.

"And you don't think you could?" Peter asked, confused at the change of tone. He'd never seen John look so depressed, and it had come on very suddenly.

"No. I know that I can't. Don't rub it in, just be happy with your new girlfriend," he replied quietly, turning his back to Peter and laying down.

"That'd be pretty hard, considering I don't have a new girlfriend and have no interest in finding one. We shared a room for a year and you never once realized I'm gay? You're not very observant," Peter stated, hiding his smile even though John wasn't looking at him.

"No you're not. Don't get my hopes up, it's cruel," John whispered. Peter was sure he wasn't meant to hear, but his hearing had been enhanced in the bite, as well. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he climbed out of his own bed and walked around John's, sitting so that John couldn't avoid looking at him.

"You're one of the densest people I've ever met, John Allerdyce. I've been not-so-subtly in love with you for months now, and you never even noticed. Why are you so unobservant?" he asked quietly, making John's eyes snap up to his. Peter was sure there was nothing but sincerity in his eyes, and he smiled at the stunned look John gave him.

"You actually mean it," he breathed, propping himself up on his elbow to get closer to Peter, who nodded. His mouth was occupied before he had a chance to even begin to think about what to say next.

Neither of them heard the quiet knock on the door, but the sprang apart when it burst open and Bobby made a strangled sound and started laughing. They both glared at him as he bent over double trying to get it under control.

"It's about damn time! Kitty and I were just talking about locking you in a closet somewhere tomorrow!" he said through his laughter, making them both blush. "I'll go now. I don't feel like witnessing anymore of this." He was still laughing when he dodged both fireballs and webs on his way out the door and down the hall.

 

 


End file.
